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Southwest Baltimore Community School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

851^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Southwest Baltimore Charter School is a public charter school in Baltimore, MD, serving 363 students in grades PK-8 within the Baltimore City Public Schools district, where over 81% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

One of the school's key differentiators is its chronic absenteeism rate of 39.0%, which is notably lower than many nearby schools like Franklin Square Elementary/Middle (66.2%) and Frederick Elementary (73.0%), and also below the district average of 46.4%. This suggests the school is relatively successful at getting students into the classroom. However, despite this advantage, academic performance has been persistently low, with the school ranking in the bottom 5% of Maryland elementary schools for the past decade. A notable exception is a "bright spot" in 3rd-grade math, where proficiency reached 12.9% in the 2025-2026 school year—a significant spike compared to other grades at the school, which often fall below 4%.

Interestingly, the school is located just 0.2 miles from Charles Carroll Barrister Elementary, which achieved a 31.2% math proficiency rate, and 0.47 miles from James McHenry Elementary/Middle, which posted a 42.3% ELA proficiency rate. This stark contrast in outcomes for schools serving the same neighborhood highlights that the challenges are not purely demographic. Additionally, the school spends less per student ($28,416) than many nearby traditional public schools, such as Westport Academy ($31,667), and has a slightly lower poverty rate than peers like Harlem Park Elementary/Middle (93.53%). While the school has a foundation to build upon, the data points to a need for a fundamental review of instructional strategies and leadership to translate these relative strengths into academic success.

363

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,416

Per pupil spending ?

81.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1300 Herkimer Street
Baltimore, MD 21223

(443) 984-3385

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.0%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Hispanic:

7.2%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Southwest Baltimore Community School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 9th percentile in 2016 → 2nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (8% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school8%

District avg22%

Maryland avg38%

Elementary school

851^st of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 9% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

323^rd of 342

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

96^th of 103Elementary Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 24Baltimore City Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	7.2	851 of 865	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.6	826 of 865	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	829 of 859	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.7	848 of 855	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.3	825 of 862	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	797 of 802	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	808 of 853	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	711 of 857	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	10.9	785 of 847	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.7	769 of 845	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	16.8	735 of 859	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.4	739 of 867	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.3	794 of 847	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.4	796 of 857	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	9.5	801 of 853	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	23.3	737 of 855	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.4	632 of 850	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	9.0	786 of 796	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	11.4	769 of 788	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	323 of 342	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	301 of 337	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	283 of 328	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	249 of 322	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.2	251 of 333	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	282 of 303	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	243 of 316	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.3	256 of 328	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.3	281 of 317	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	12.5	281 of 314	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.2	243 of 315	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.7	256 of 339	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	27.0	240 of 316	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	9.9	290 of 314	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	18.8	228 of 259	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	9.6	287 of 303	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.2	270 of 273	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	11.9	275 of 288	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Male (2021)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2021)1st percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2021)12th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2021)5th percentile~ school

Male (2021)5th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)1st percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts13%-39 vs state

Science6%-25 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

4.8

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 10, 2016

This school is one of the most amazing schools in Baltimore City. The staff are amazing and the administration are supportive and welcoming.

This is a place where kids thrive and grow trough the support and hard work of the entire SBCS team. Close Quote

by a citizen on FaceBook
Monday, July 18, 2016

Southwest may not be outperforming other schools yet, but it has a deeply committed staff, a caring community, and engaged, happy students who are taught not just to perform on tests but to think for themselves, to be good people, and to make a difference in their communities. Learning is built around long term projects that make learning skills feel important and relevant to students' lives. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The rankings don't do this charter school justice. Just recently, SBCS assumed a failing school, which helps to account for how it's doing. They've got a lot of work to do to help even out the playing field. The teachers and staff are excellent though, and I've been impressed by the amount of progress they've made in procuring grants and funds to improve the school, connecting themselves to other fantastic programs, and also impressed by the rigor of their expeditionary learning.

I've got two kids with very different needs - one is a hyperlexic learning sponge, who was doing fourth grade math and reading in first grade. The second is very much-so a typical student who gets frustrated easily. Both children, despite their very different needs, are being well taken care of.

The PTO is doing well. They're also hosting more and more afterschool activities, which my kids participate in.

I'm a happy parent. I love SBCS. Close Quote

Schools Near Southwest Baltimore Community School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Geometry (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest Baltimore Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	1300 Herkimer Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-3385	363	28	13.2	81.3%	19 (5.2%)	283 (78.0%)	26 (7.2%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.7%)	7.2	851^st of 865 public elementary schools	1.6%		10.6	826^th of 865 public elementary schools	4.5%	25	12.9	2.9	3.8	0.0	5.0	2.5	4.4	9.7	11.4	7.4	17.1	12.8	18.4	13.2			3.8	7.9	$28,416	$5,431	$22,984
Charles Carroll Barrister Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1327 Washington Boulevard	Baltimore	21230	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-5973	266	24	11.0	70.3%	36 (13.5%)	89 (33.5%)	136 (51.1%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	28.9	587^th of 865 public elementary schools	32.1%		11.6	814^th of 865 public elementary schools	5.9%	227	23.7	47.2	22.9				31.2	32.4	22.2	25.7				26.9			11.4		$28,439	$4,668	$23,771
James McHenry Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	31 S Schroeder Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1621	588	43	13.6	89.5%	12 (2.0%)	534 (90.8%)	26 (4.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.0%)	36	513^th of 865 public elementary schools	40.7%		20.2	682^nd of 865 public elementary schools	21.2%	169	25.6	10.0	7.7	29.6	19.2	14.6	20.2	34.1	17.5	24.5	55.6	50.0	44.9	42.3	26.3		7.1	23.2	$22,282	$4,541	$17,741
George Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Scott Street	Baltimore	21230	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1445	137	11	12.4	82.5%	13 (9.5%)	104 (75.9%)	11 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.8%)	18.7	702^nd of 865 public elementary schools	18.8%		28.6	566^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.6%	136	42.9	4.3	5.3				17.5	33.3	21.7	15.8				23.8			10.5		$26,566	$4,777	$21,789
Franklin Square Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1400 W Lexington Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0795	490	33	15.0	86.5%	15 (3.1%)	380 (77.6%)	82 (16.7%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	10.3	820^th of 865 public elementary schools	5.2%		11	821^st of 865 public elementary schools	5.1%	1	9.4	12.8	5.3	3.3	8.7	7.0	7.6	15.4	12.8	13.2	24.6	27.7	32.8	22.1			5.3	2.9	$21,891	$4,724	$17,167
Frederick Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	2501 Frederick Avenue	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0830	320	20	16.0	88.8%	12 (3.8%)	239 (74.7%)	50 (15.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	6.7	854^th of 865 public elementary schools	1.3%		5.3	863^rd of 865 public elementary schools	0.2%	9	6.8	2.3	1.8				3.5	11.1	4.4	14.5				10.3			7.8		$30,078	$6,680	$23,398
Mary Ann Winterling Elementary at Bentalou	Public	PK, KG-5	220 N Bentalou Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1385	296	16	18.5	92.2%	0 (0.0%)	283 (95.6%)	10 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	6.2	860^th of 865 public elementary schools	0.6%		7.8	852^nd of 865 public elementary schools	1.5%	8	6.8	6.1	2.3				5.2	11.4	10.2	9.5				10.4			2.5		$26,929	$5,369	$21,559
Harlem Park Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1401 W Lafayette Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0633	402	30	13.4	93.5%	3 (0.7%)	388 (96.5%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	10.9	814^th of 865 public elementary schools	5.9%		8.2	847^th of 865 public elementary schools	2.1%	33	30.8	10.3	0.0	0.0	2.4	22.0	11.0	7.5	15.4	5.7	25.5	11.4	19.6	15.0			0.0	13.5	$20,251	$4,743	$15,508
Furman Templeton Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1200 Pennsylvania Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0882	433	26	16.6	92.8%	4 (0.9%)	420 (97.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	11.3	809^th of 865 public elementary schools	6.5%		14.2	770^th of 865 public elementary schools	11.0%	39	16.2	10.2	1.7				9.7	25.0	25.4	18.6				23.1			1.7		$31,185	$7,736	$23,449
The Historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	507 W Preston Street	Baltimore	21201	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0783	236	14	16.8	95.8%	2 (0.8%)	225 (95.3%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)	20.8	674^th of 865 public elementary schools	22.1%		11.8	811^th of 865 public elementary schools	6.2%	137	27.7	0.0	2.4				11.9	42.6	40.0	24.4				35.6			5.0		$28,022	$6,120	$21,902

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Baltimore Community School

How many students attend Southwest Baltimore Community School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 363 students attended Southwest Baltimore Community School.

Is Southwest Baltimore Community School a good school?

Southwest Baltimore Community School ranks in the bottom 1.6% of Maryland elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Baltimore Community School?

Students at Southwest Baltimore Community School are 78% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 5% White, 2% Asian.

What district is Southwest Baltimore Community School in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.